Let's Pretend (or Not)
THE Guardian has really taken things to another level this time, although its editors would probably welcome that as a compliment. Proclaiming that a Londoner by the name of Owen Harcum had become the first "non-binary" mayor of Bangor, in north Wales, the newspaper tells us that s/he/it should be addressed as "their worship". As the article continues: “What is even more unique about Harcum, 23, is who they are: non-binary, queer and agender.” Call me old-fashioned, but I'm wondering how someone can be homosexual if they haven't even been assigned a gender (or, more accurately, is not prepared to accept one).
How many people are prepared to continue with this silly game, I wonder, and cater for the indistinct proclivities of someone (sometwo?) who clearly has a severe identity crisis? I pity this individual, to be perfectly honest, but there is no reason why the rest of us should walk around with our eyes closed merely to entertain what can only be described as a solipsist fantasy.
Perhaps, by this time next year, Owen Harcum will have extended his/her/it's mayoral duties by becoming the collective embodiment of the entire Bangor Town Council, the canteen staff, the receptionist, the security guard, the lavatory attendant and even a sizeable majority of the local electorate.